


The Layman’s Guide to Being Deified

by merelypassingtime



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Birthday Party, Crack, Established Relationship, M/M, Questionable Definitions of Divinity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23626759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merelypassingtime/pseuds/merelypassingtime
Summary: When Stephen marries Tony he knows that it will be until death does them part. He also knows that since wielding the Time Stone has all but stopped him from aging, it’s likely that Tony will be the one dying.He tries not to think about it much so maybe he can be forgiven for taking almost two decades to notice that Tony isn’t aging either.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 31
Kudos: 195





	The Layman’s Guide to Being Deified

It was Pepper who brought it up.

She sidled up to him as the party was winding down. Empty plates and cups littered every flat surface, and almost half the attendees had already left and the other half were mostly standing around in small groups, chatting quietly. Only Tony was still going strong. 

Stephen was sitting on the back of a sofa when Pepper sat next to him, holding a piece of red and gold birthday cake, and for a while they watched Tony together as he laughed and bounced around the dance floor to some new, popular song with a group of someone’s kids.

Then, after finishing the last bite of her cake she cleared her thought and, never taking her eyes off her boss and friend, said, “He never slows down, does he?”

“No,” Stephen agreed with a fond smile. “Not until he crashes and sometimes not even then.”

“And he still looks just as young as he did the day you guys met.”

“I guess. He must have good genes that way.”

“I think it’s a bit more than that,” she said, more sharply than Stephen expected.

“What do you mean?”

“He had a physical last week, did you know?”

“No, why?” Stephen asked, alarmed by the non sequitur. “Is something wrong with him?”

“No, just the opposite. He’s in perfect health. Better than ever, in fact,” Pepper assured him, though her tone didn’t match her words.

“That’s great, isn’t it?”

Again Pepper changed tact. “You know, he hasn’t had so much as a cavity in the last twenty years. Again, not since he met you.”

This time Stephen didn’t bother to reply, just waited for her to make her point.

“Now look at him. Seventy-five years old and not looking a day over fifty.”

“Look, Ms Potts, I don’t know what you’re trying to say there-”

She cut him off. “Don’t Ms Potts me, _Doctor_ Strange. Are you using magic to keep Tony young or not?”

“No!” Stephen denied vehemently. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, it sure doesn’t look like you’ve aged either, does it? I know about the Ancient One and the deal she made for her long life.”

“How do you know about that?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Wong,” Stephen guessed.

Pepper didn’t deny it. “If you’ve made some sort of pact to keep yourself and Tony young, you damn well better have gotten Tony’s permission first.”

“No, I didn’t.”

When she glared daggers at him, he quickly amended, “I meant, I didn’t make any deals and I haven’t done anything else.”

He looked back at his husband, sighed, and lowered his voice. “Look, you’re not wrong about me. One of the side effects of spending a few years stuck in a time loop seems to be that time sorta just loses its hold on you.”

“A time loop? Like in that old movie about groundhogs?”

Stephen thought about the uncountable eternity he spent in Dormammu’s dark dimension and said dryly, “Yeah, well, it’s not as fun as Bill Murray made it look.”

“Came with immorality though, didn’t it?”

“Is that really a good thing?”

“I-” she started, then paused. “No. No, I guess not.”

“You think I’d force that burden on Tony too?”

“If he asked you to, yes.”

Stephen bobbed his head, acknowledging the point. “But he’s never asked, and I’ve never offered.”

“Well, it still looks as though he’s found his own way somehow.”

“It could still be good genetics.”

Pepper gave him a look and he sighed. “Fine. You’re probably right, but so what? It’s not like being young and healthy is a bad thing.”

“No, maybe not. But I don’t like not knowing why. What if there will be a price to pay later?”

“Cheery thought,” Stephen said, then sighed. “And also very wise. I’ll start looking into it, see what I can find out.”

She nodded, her eyes back on Tony. Stephen turned his gaze back to his husband too, and for a moment they both watched him teaching the children the hokey pokey, with their faces grim.

Until an unexpected slap on his shoulder finally broke Stephen out of his dark thoughts as Thor settled beside him on the overburdened back of the sofa, nearly tilting it over.

“Why so grave, my faithful companions?” he asked, his voice boisterous and possibly slightly drunk. “Is this not a celebration for the ages?!”

“Tony knows how to throw a party, that’s for sure,” Stephen agreed.

Pepper rolled her eyes. “He should, he’s had a lot of practice.”

“Yes, and, as your Earth sages say, that makes him perfect, right?”

“He certainly thinks so,” Stephen said.

“Yes,” Thor said, suddenly serious himself. “Humility can be most difficult to maintain when one is a god.”

Stephen choked on his coffee, and Pepper demanded, “A what now?”

Thor looked at her, puzzled. “A god. All the Avengers are gods. I thought you knew.”

“But, how?”

“It is clear we do not not age and recover from many injuries that should be fatal-” Thor explained.

“No,” Stephen interrupted him, “not ‘how would we know’, how can Tony be a god?”

“Well, enough people worship him and the other that their belief has elevated them into gods.”

A dazed looking Pepper asked, “It takes more than that to become a god, doesn’t it?”

“It really doesn’t,” Thor said. “The power of belief is unbelievably strong.”

“But People don’t _worship_ Tony!” Stephen objected.

“They sorta do, Stephen,” Pepper said. “You’ve seen a whole stadium chanting Tony’s name just as often as I have.”

“Not to mention all the idols that have been sold,” Thor added.

“You mean the action figures?”

“You say tomato, I say small representations of someone that are the focus of much reverence.”

Stephen started to object, but paused. He had never quite thought of it that way.

“It makes sense,” Pepper said, looking as thoughtful as he felt. “And it explains why Nat and Clint are still in peak condition too.”

“Better than peak,” Thor threw in. “They possess strength beyond not only their years, but also above that a mortal could achieve.”

“I guess,” Stephen admitted.

“After all the things we’ve seen and fought together, is it really so hard to believe?”

“Put like that, I maybe not. But still…”l Stephen said, lapsing into silence while his whole world view took a slight step further from normal. 

Luckily, it was something he had a lot of practice with.

“So,” he said, “how should we break it to Tony that he’s a god now? Is there some sort of reveal party for that?”

Enthusiastically, Thor said, “We could have another great party and get someone to jump out of a cake wearing a banner or something.”

Stephen stretched his hands out in front of him as if reading that banner, “Congrats, It’s a God!”

Pepper just shook her head. “I think you’re both over-thinking this. After all, Tony already thinks he’s a god. He’ll be glad to know everyone finally sees it too.” 

“What does everyone else see?” a new voice asked.

All three of them looked up to find Tony standing in front of them, a little red in the face, but still beaming. The smile faltered a bit as they stared back at him like deer caught in the headlights.

“Um,” Stephen said eloquently, and Tony focused on him giving Pepper and Thor time to conveniently melt away into the thinning crowd. The traitors.

Tony narrowed his eyes. “Were you three gossiping about me behind my back?”

His tone was light but something behind his eyes was worried. Stephen had to make that right.

“Not gossiping really,” He said. “Pepper and I were just talking about how good you look for your age.”

Tony nodded wisely, “I am very hot, aren’t I?”

“Unnaturally so for seventy-five, or so we were saying when Thor sorta overheard and pointed out that you might be-” Stephen faltered, then took a deep breath and mentally girded himself to drop the bomb.

Tony beat him to it. “A god?”

Stephen choked again. “What?”

“A god, right? Loki told me ages ago. We actually had a bet on how long it would take you all to figure it out. Lucky for me, Loki doesn’t have a very good handle on human lifespans, so he bet me two centuries.”

“So you knew!?”

“Yeah, but only for a couple of weeks.”

“So? You’ve still known for _weeks_ and you didn’t tell me?!” Stephen demanded.

Tony shrugged. “I would have lost the bet if I did.”

Stephen glared at him.

“Ah, you’re so cute when you’re mad.”

“And you are such an ass.”

“Is that anyway to talk to your god?”

“You’re not my god.”

“Really?” Tony asked with a leer. “Because you call me god all the time during sex.”

“I do not!” Stepen objected.

Tony ignored him. “In fact, give me ten minutes and some lube and I’ll make you call me god again.”

Stephen hesitated. He was still annoyed, he also wasn’t enough of a fool to pass up such an offer. “Fine. But, I’m still mad.”

“Great! Angry sex is the best.”

“Plus, I still have to give you your birthday spanking.”

“I like where your head’s at.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but still pulled Tony in for a hard kiss.

When he could force himself to pull away, Stephen said a little breathlessly, “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” 

As they kissed again, he continued in his mind, _And many more…_


End file.
